Microsoft Corp. today announced that Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer has decided to retire as CEO within the next 12 months, upon the completion of a process to choose his successor. In the meantime, Ballmer will continue as CEO and will lead Microsoft through the next steps of its transformation to a devices and services company that empowers people for the activities they value most.

“There is never a perfect time for this type of transition, but now is the right time,” Ballmer said. “We have embarked on a new strategy with a new organization and we have an amazing Senior Leadership Team. My original thoughts on timing would have had my retirement happen in the middle of our company’s transformation to a devices and services company. We need a CEO who will be here longer term for this new direction.”

This was long overdue. Microsoft needs fresh blood at the top - not a salesman, but a visionary.

I have yet to understand why people develop such emotional vestment on products they don't own, made by companies they don't work for, led by people they don't personally know. Neither Microsoft nor their CEO (specially) give two shits about any of you, you should perhaps think about returning the "favor."

I have yet to understand why people develop such emotional vestment on products they don't own, made by companies they don't work for, led by people they don't personally know. Neither Microsoft nor their CEO (specially) give two shits about any of you...

YOU from "gives two shits about any of you..." includes you also. Right?

1. This website is called OSNews where people give their opinions of OS and other tech related news. #dealwithit.

2. The armchair CEOS have been right for years. Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum (Ballmer and Sinofsky) would have been voted out long ago by armchair CEOs that actually pay attention to how much damage those two have done to the company.

But by all means go ahead and defend Steven "No one wants the iPad even though it sold over 100 million" Ballmer and his amazing Surface that he and his cronies lied about since it was such a royal failure (another failure that we critics/armchair CEOs/alliance of tech workers with common sense predicted well before it was released. http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/08/14/microsoft-faces-lawsuit-o...

That you thought I was in any way attempting to "defend" him speaks volumes about the inadequacy of your cognitive processes, specially as far as basic reading and comprehension capabilities are concerned.